There are likely to be plenty of ticks this year, as many of these bloodsuckers have survived the cold season.
Who would have thought that a tick is not an insect, not a beetle, but actually belongs to the arachnid family, and is closely related to mites. Although millions of people worldwide are terrified of spiders – indeed, a specific phobia has even been named after them – ticks are actually far more dangerous, as they transmit two diseases whose complications can have very serious consequences.
The public heard all about this at the Budapest Zoo’s information session on Wednesday, where the speakers aimed not only to educate but also to draw attention to the tick invasion set to begin shortly and the ways to avoid the associated dangers.
There are many species of ticks; at least 800 are known worldwide. At least two dozen species live in the Carpathian Basin, said Zoltán Hanga, the zoo’s spokesperson, who reassured everyone that it is highly unlikely that any of them will be found at the Budapest Zoo.
In the wild, however, they are expected to be present in large numbers this year, as the winter was mild, meaning many ticks survived the cold season. Climate change is also contributing to their increasing proliferation. These mite-like bloodsuckers are dangerous because, through their ‘feeding’, they spread pathogens that cause viral encephalitis, meningitis and Lyme disease. We can protect ourselves against the former with a vaccine, but Lyme disease can only be prevented.
The spokesperson summarised how to do this in six practical tips. When out in the open, avoid dense, shady undergrowth. If you do find yourself in thick undergrowth, ensure your clothing covers your limbs as much as possible. Use repellent. After an outing, check yourself and any family members hiking with you thoroughly to see if a bloodsucker has hidden in the folds of your skin. If you find a tick, it is also important to remove it as soon as possible using the correct method, such as tweezers. If you are unsure whether you have removed it successfully, consult a doctor.
It is not that simple, as viral encephalitis and meningitis are difficult to recognise at first – said the medical expert attending the briefing. According to Dr Péter Torzsa, a GP and associate professor at the Department of General Practice at Semmelweis University, the main reason for this is that the symptoms of the disease, which typically has a two-phase course, most closely resemble those of a simple cold or flu in the first stage.
However, in one-third of patients, the disease progresses to a second phase involving meningitis, encephalitis, or encephalomyelitis, which usually begins in the fourth week following the tick bite. Symptoms include a high fever of over 39 degrees, neck stiffness, drowsiness, coordination problems, severe headaches, and may even be accompanied by vomiting, dizziness and loss of consciousness. Furthermore, paralysis of the facial nerve, the neck, the shoulder girdle and the limbs may also occur.
It is particularly important for parents to note that the symptoms of viral encephalitis and meningitis are often unclear in childhood, making the disease even more difficult to recognise, said the medical expert. According to a Swedish study, 10 out of 124 children under the age of 18 who consulted a doctor with neurological symptoms were diagnosed with tick-borne encephalitis.
According to Péter Torzsa, the best way for both adults and children to avoid all these risks is vaccination. The importance of preventing tick-borne encephalitis is emphasised by both domestic and international health organisations: the vaccine has been included in the National Epidemiological Centre’s recommended vaccination schedule for several years.
Despite this, the current vaccination coverage is only 5–15 per cent, compared to Austria, for example, where the rate is 80 per cent. It is also the responsibility of doctors to convince the public of the importance of vaccination, said the expert, who added that it is worth starting the three-dose vaccination series as early as this week so that immunity is established by the time of the tick invasion, around April.
Péter Torzsa also spoke about another disease spread by ticks, Lyme disease, of which nearly 1,500 cases were officially recorded last year, though the actual number was almost certainly much higher. This is because the disease is also not easy to identify, although the rosette-like, usually oval-shaped rash provides some indication. This disease also presents relatively mild symptoms at first, but if left untreated, it can lead to a serious, lifelong chronic condition, joint problems, and cardiovascular diseases.
Sarolta Monspart, a former world champion orienteer whose career was cut short by a tick bite, also attended the information session. The renowned athlete, who in the 1970s nearly died from tick-borne encephalitis – a condition that was virtually unknown at the time – used her own example to emphasise just how important it is for anyone who spends time in the countryside to get vaccinated. He also suggested that a plotline should be written into a popular television soap opera in which the main character falls ill after a tick bite. Perhaps, as he said, many people would then understand just how important prevention and vaccination are.
Facts and myths To this day, there are numerous misconceptions in the public consciousness regarding ticks and the treatment of tick bites. Please note the following!
● Cigarette smoke and the smell of food and drink do not deter them! Contrary to popular belief, vitamin B6, alcohol and garlic consumed for preventative purposes are also ineffective against ticks.
● Do not apply any ointments! Oily or Vaseline-based home remedies cause the tick to regurgitate partially digested blood, which contains many pathogens, back into the wound.
● Do not pick at it! The best way to remove a tick is with tick tweezers specifically designed for this purpose. Using a match, sewing needle or eyebrow tweezers can only cause harm.
● They do not live in trees and cannot jump! They cannot even climb a tree and generally do not go higher than one metre.
● They don’t just live in the forest! Ticks thrive in dense undergrowth and high-humidity environments, meaning they can be found not only in forests but also in parks, playgrounds and even well-tended gardens.
● It’s fine if its head breaks off during removal! The remnant (which is actually its jaw) will be expelled naturally within a few days. If not, it must still be removed, as it may cause inflammation, though not infection.
● Do not squeeze the tick! This exponentially increases the risk of infection.
● Do not take any risks before pregnancy! Tick-borne encephalitis infection during pregnancy is dangerous for both the mother and the foetus. Lyme disease infection during pregnancy can also be dangerous: it has been linked to foetal developmental abnormalities, premature birth and foetal death.
(C) Lyme Borreliosis Foundation
